"Selma" - take the pledge

What (and who) does it take to make a movement? How do you work with government and still challenge the system? How do the stories our media tell influence the conditions for change?

Directed by Ava DuVernay and set for a nationwide release this Friday, “Selma” highlights the awe-inspiring fight for voting rights in 1960s Alabama. And while the film was already in post-production when protests broke out across the country against police brutality and the murder of black youth by law enforcement, the struggle today in many ways mirrors what is seen in DuVernay’s timely film. As we continue to confront today’s injustices, this movie serves as a reminder of the incredible hardships we’ve endured to get to this crucial moment in our history.

Everyone should see “Selma" - will you pledge to go watch this tremendous film?

Fifty years ago, Selma, Alabama, was ground zero in the struggle for voting rights in America, but it took people from all walks of life and all corners of the United States to win justice. While names like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Congressman John Lewis are familiar from our history books, there were thousands more who participated and while their names are too often omitted, they are no less important.

Today, the struggle for justice continues and the rules have not changed. It is the responsibility of all people to stand up and affirm that #BlackLivesMatter. While progress has been made, our communities continue to face brutal and at-times deadly treatment by police, a dehumanizing media landscape, and attacks on our voting rights.

With so few fair, complex portrayals of Black people in Hollywood, and too few females and directors of color at the helm, we implore you to support “Selma” as a shining example of the kinds of films we want to see. As we begin a new year, we hope it will inform and inspire us all as we continue to work together to seize a better, brighter tomorrow for our communities.

Check out the trailer for Selma and pledge to go see this incredible film.